The Unintended Joys in These Times of Hell

First of all, this quarantine is certainly not a good thing. We are isolated from family and friends, and, for good reason, we are worried for them. We cannot go out to enjoy life, and there are many of us without jobs. This was never meant to be a vacation, and trust me, it certainly isn't one.

Having said that, many people (myself included) are trying to find silver linings amidst the chaos and gloom. For me, the silver lining has been the last two weeks I have gotten to spend with my daughter. Any working parent knows how hard it is to come by time to spend with young children. During the week, I wake up at 6:00 and leave the house at 7:00; my only time spent with her here is the 15 minutes of getting her ready to go so I can take her to the babysitter's. I leave work at 5:00, pick her up by 5:30, and we normally make it home by 5:50 to 6:00. However, her bedtime is between 7:00 and 7:30 leaving us maybe an hour together (even less since we all need to eat). All together, we get to spend roughly an hour to an hour and a half with her each day; not nearly enough for a growing infant that is going through rapid changes.

As much as I hate not working and hate being stuck at home, these last two weeks have been life-changing. I now get to spend all day with her; I am there for every feeding, every nap, and every minute of play. With Abby working from home three days a week, she gets to be here too. There is no job or amount of money that can replace time spent with children, and these two weeks have certainly reinforced that.

I think one of every working parents' fears/regrets is that they will miss the big moments. There is nothing more important than a baby's firsts, and thankfully, because of this quarantine, I have gotten to witness many. I have been here to watch my daughter go from flat on her belly, to hands and knees, to crawling all over the house. I watched as she went from her belly to sitting up all by herself for the first time. Abby and I were at the dining room table working when we watched her pull herself to her feet for the first time. Finally, I was sitting right there the first time we noticed her tooth poking through.

There is nothing in the world that could replace moments like these. With everything going on right now, it is hard to find the positives and few people are glimpsing these silver linings. However, this is precisely when we should be looking for the positives in life. The world may be going through hell, and I may only be home because I cannot go to work, but it is because of this hell that I am able to catch all of these moments. All I can hope is that in these times of strife, we can all find some glimmer of joy and hope to get us through.